Li C.-T.Lee C.-P.Chiu I.-T.Vittal R.Huang Y.-J.Chen T.-Y.Pang H.-W.Lin J.T.Ho K.-C.2019-05-172019-05-17201720507488https://scholars.lib.ntu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/408693A titanium oxide-selenide (TiO1.1Se0.9) composite material was successfully obtained on a flexible substrate of carbon cloth (CC); this TiO1.1Se0.9/CC electrode was used as the counter electrode (CE) in a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Each carbon fiber in the CC was wrapped with a composite layer of TiO1.1Se0.9, and the composite layer contained TiO1.1Se0.9 nanospheres and one-dimensional (1D) nanorods. Thus, each carbon fiber with its TiO1.1Se0.9 layer has a hierarchical core-shell structure, in which the carbon fiber acts as a one-dimensional conductive core for electron transfer and the TiO1.1Se0.9 layer around the fiber functions as an electro-catalytic shell. In iodide-based electrolyte, the DSSC with the TiO1.1Se0.9/CC exhibits a power conversion efficiency (£b) of 9.47%, which is higher than cells with CEs of Pt/CC (7.75%) and pristine TiO2/CC (4.90%). Under dim light conditions, the best TiO1.1Se0.9/CC electrode rendered its cell an £b of 10.00% at 0.5 sun and the best £b of 10.39% at 0.1 sun. In cobalt-based electrolytes, a DSSC with the TiO1.1Se0.9/CC shows an attractive £b of 10.32% at 1.0 sun, the best £b of 10.47% at 0.5 sun, and an impressive £b of 10.20% at 0.1 sun. The earth abundant and low-cost TiO1.1Se0.9 is a promising alternative to Pt for the CE of a DSSC in both iodide and cobalt electrolytes. ? 2017 The Royal Society of Chemistry.journal article10.1039/c7ta02474f2-s2.0-85024120916https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85024120916&doi=10.1039%2fc7ta02474f&partnerID=40&md5=ea259ea95d93448b3ca21a740b5cd921